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Dallas Cowboys: A potential sleeper in the defensive secondary

By Steven Mullenax

TALLAHASSEE, FL - OCTOBER 15: Defensive back Marquez White #27 of the Florida State Seminoles intercepts a pass intended for wide receiver Steven Claude #81 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Doak Campbell Stadium on October 15, 2016 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - OCTOBER 15: Defensive back Marquez White #27 of the Florida State Seminoles intercepts a pass intended for wide receiver Steven Claude #81 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Doak Campbell Stadium on October 15, 2016 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /
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After spending his entire rookie season on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad, could this young defender be a sleeper to watch this offseason?

Last offseason, the Dallas Cowboys enforced a complete platoon swap in their defensive secondary. Gone were veterans in safeties Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox. Longtime starting cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne were allowed to leave in free agency as the Cowboys implemented a youth movement to address those losses.

The Cowboys spent seven of their nine selections in the 2017 NFL Draft on the defensive side of the ball. Out of those picks, four of them were defensive backs.

Dallas selected Colorado’s Chidobe Awuzie in the second round, Michigan’s Jourdan Lewis in the third and traded back into the sixth round for Louisiana Tech’s Xavier Woods. Then, with their compensatory selection in that same round, the Cowboys drafted Florida State cornerback Marquez White 216th overall.

Awuzie, Lewis and Woods all landed on Dallas’ active roster and all three found success in their rookie season. White was placed on the Cowboys’ practice squad and all but forgotten.

But according to one Cowboys’ insider, White could be a sleeper to watch this offseason as he attempts to find a meaningful role within this very talented, but young defensive secondary.

"“The guy I feel like has been the forgotten man is Marquez White,” replied football analyst Bryan Broaddus to a mailbag question on the team’s official website. “I am looking forward to seeing what this offseason brings for him. Nobody is talking about him but at the end of training camp that might not be the case.”"

Coming out of college, the 6-0, 194 pound press corner was seen as more of a traits player who needed to develop both mentally and in his technique. With a year on the practice squad under his belt, the 23-year old is undoubtedly hoping to make the leap to the active roster.

A two-year starter for the Seminoles, White recorded 50 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for a loss, six pass defends and three interceptions during that span. He also posted six combined tackles in three preseason games for the Cowboys last year.

Next: Dallas Cowboys: 15 best first-round picks of all-time

The Dallas Cowboys have a very talented bunch at cornerback right now. Along with Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis and Marquez White; Third-year former starter Anthony Brown, safety turned corner Byron Jones and last preseason’s surprising Duke Thomas should all make for one of the more competitive positional battles on the entire Cowboys’ roster.

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